Colors
by Dauntless Imagineer
Summary: Rudy stood up on my hand, his arms crossed and a defiant frown stuck on his thin mouth. Even in death, I could see the flecks of blue in his deep gaze, and it wasn't until my aged, dark brown eyes met his that I knew I couldn't take him. R&R for more!


**A/N-** **Hello, everyone. Remember in my profile when I said I would try and finish everything I had started? Well...I had to make an exception. I recently finished The Book Thief, and I just loved it, but I thought it had a... strange ending, I guess. I understand it was the period of the Holocaust, but it was just a dark, sad ending that left me near tears. Because I am such a sensitive person, I figured that writing my own story was the only key to truly being pleased with the final pages of the book. **

**The story starts right after the bombing raid on Himmel Street. I am sincerely changing many things, so if you don't like it, I'm sorry.**

**Remember to enjoy, and drop a review if you're able. I'm not sure if I can continue the story, mainly because I have no true lead, so if you want to see more, you all need to be very persuasive. I'm also not sure if this could end pleasantly being a oneshot, or if I am demanded, could continue to be a short story. Whatever the outcome is, please grace me with a review. I would sincerely appreciate it.**

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I wish, dear reader, that I could recount to you what color the sky was, because it would really help me explain my emotions, but I am sorry to say that the dust cloud that settled over Himmel Street prevented me from seeing any colors at all. I, myself, had always loved them. They had such definition and shape, that of which seems almost like a living, breathing thing.

*****A Strange Thought*****

**Maybe that is **

**why I love colors so much.**

**They are the closest**

**thing to life I have come to know.**

You see, my job is quite simple.

I am the scavenger of souls, the seeker of spirits, the keeper of the world's greatest turmoil.

If I could somehow ask you what you thought of death, I would already know what you would tell me.

*****The Average Human Response*****

"**It scares me."**

I think it is rather silly how humans try to avoid an inescapable fate. I will find you all in time.

Do not let me distract you with this harsh reality. I am a very simple being, and I do have feelings. I go through pain, sadness, joy, and such just as you do.

I just handle it differently.

But I cannot deny that as I collected the scattered souls from Himmel Street, I felt a deep twinge of anguish. For the past few years, I had been a silent watcher of the lives here, and the added weight of their beings did no good to ease my pained heart.

In time, I came upon Papa and Mama. Their eyes were closed, having been caught in death in a gentle slumber. Mama's mouth was slightly unhinged, and despite the awfulness of the situation, found myself bitterly amused at the thought that, moments before the bombs, she had probably been snoring so loudly that Fuhrer twitched in his sleep.

Silently, a with a small smile on my mouth, I leaned down and collected their souls. Papa's was already leaned up, as if bidding me to take him, and he did it willingly.

"I'm ready." The man murmured.

I didn't respond, only let him lie in my arms beside his wife, who seemed to glow with a fierce pride.

*****A Confession*****

**The next scene I found deeply**

**disturbed me.**

I saw his tangled, dirty hair before I saw the wounds. Rudy's pajamas were burnt, but still intact. Dirt was smeared across his face, the rubble around him providing a final resting place for his broken body. I cringed when I saw him, and hovered for a while. I couldn't imagine what scene would befall me when Liesel came along.

*****Another Confession*****

**I knew the Book Thief was alive. **

**I sensed it.**

After a few moments, I leaned down to take Rudy's spirit and add it to my endless collection, when I was suddenly faced with a strange situation. As the yellow, glowing form of the boy was pulled from his body, it began to thrash and fight at its hardest. He struggled against my grasp, screaming at me with wide, furious eyes.

"_Lassen sie mich gehen! Lassen sie mich gehen! Ich bin nicht bereit zu gehen! Senden sie mir zuruck!" _Let me go! Let me go! I am not ready to leave! Send me back!

I faltered, but continued to place him beside Mama and Papa. They said nothing, only sadly stared at the poor boy who was not ready to leave his Book Thief behind.

"Please!" He begged, the German words having flowed out of his mouth. "I can't leave Liesel. She has lost too much!"

At the mention of her name, I definitely stopped. Rudy stood up on my hand, his arms crossed and a defiant frown stuck on his thin mouth. Even in death, I could see the flecks of blue in his deep gaze, and it wasn't until my aged, dark brown eyes met his that I knew I couldn't take him. He had too much left to do, and although this was defying all of the rules, I couldn't bear to hurt Liesel any further.

I brought him up close to me face, where I could truly look at him. So close that his lemon-sunshine locks brushed my nose.

*****The Few Words I Said To The Small Human*****

"**I will have you one day, **

**but until then, do not disappoint me.**

**And tell no one of what you've seen."**

I could see the joy that rocketed through him, but he managed to keep calm as he gave a true nod. And I knew I could trust him. I leaned down, and gently set him back into his body. The form gave a shudder, and it wasn't mere moments later that he woke from his sleep, and stood from the rubble. He turned, seeming confused at where he was, before he eventually turned to me. He squinted his eyes, as though he was staring right at me. I could only return it, completely stricken with shock, because his expression was one that seemed to be directed at any other human. And it was then that I realized that he knew I was there.

"Thank you." The boy said, before stumbling forward, regaining his balance and beginning the search for Liesel.

I stayed behind, but followed him a few paces away. I was rather interested in this strange child, more so because I wanted to see what sort of changes I had just made to this life.

It was then that I saw another form in the distance. It stumbled often, and through the dust that had still not settle, could not been seen clearly by Rudy's eyes.

But I could.

And I couldn't help but feel pleasure.

*****I'll Let You Guess Who The Person Was*****

**You got it.**

Her blonde hair was a mass of tangles, her brown eyes focused on the ground, but her gaze was brought up when she caught sight of her own Jesse Owens.

"Rudy!"Her voice rang out across the empty space, meeting him as he let out a laugh of complete relief. Liesel bounded forward, colliding with his frail body as she embraced him as fiercely as she could manage. Rudy staggered backward, but returned it, a small smile playing on his mouth as Liesel buried her head in his neck.

"Everyone's gone, Rudy." She whimpered softly. "Papa and Mama and Frau and Tommy...everyone." He felt her warm tears sliding down his skin, but he didn't care.

"It's alright." He answered after a second pause. "We're okay, and that's all that matters."

She sighed, but managed to look up at him.

"I saw you." She said on the verge of disbelief. "You wouldn't wake up, I thought you had..." She trailed.

Rudy's lips quirked at a corner. "I wouldn't ever leave you."

Something changed in Liesel's eyes then, and I could clearly see it. Before I had time to even realize what was to come, I watched as she grabbed Rudy by the collar and brought his lips to hers. Her eyes flew close, but Rudy was too shocked to even react immediately. Finally, after so many years of waiting and wanting, he relaxed, and drew his arms around her waist to pull her closer.

It was a bittersweet scene, and I can admit that I felt good about myself. I am not gloating, but I felt good about myself.

In time, they had to break apart, but they rested their foreheads on one another, just soaking each other's presence in until they would overflow.

"I missed you so much, _Saumensch._"

She laughed softly. "But I saw you only yesterday."

He chuckled, reaching over to take her hand into his.

"It feels like a lifetime."

So many humans.

So many colors.

I went away then, feeling that I needed to leave them alone for a while.

Dear reader, I told you once that even death had a heart. I then proceeded to tell you a lie.

*****My Lie*****

**'I am everything but nice.'**

**I realize now that what I had done may be**

**considered some level of "nice", but I do not call it this.**

**I call it graciousness.**

But I do not need to say this for you to know that even my gracious act would come back to haunt me. Rudy and Liesel would, in fact, die one day. I would come to them with arms held wide, because if I have learned anything in my career, it is that you cannot cheat death more than once. Yes, I would find them, and they would be mine.

Until then, I guess I would have to make do with what I had.

The clouds began to part, in time. As I looked up, I was presented with a brilliant sunrise.

And I was flooded by colors.

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**So...what did you think? I tried to make it sound as good as I could get it, so if I didn't do anything quite right, let me know. There is no such thing as a perfect author or story.**

**A quick reminder: If you want more, drop a review. **

**Thank you so much for reading! :)**


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